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Cost of living

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Judicious January Jangling & Juggling *blows budgeteering bugle*

999 replies

claretandamberforever · 30/12/2013 18:22

Sorry, couldn't resist going overboard on the J's

Happy new year y'all. Welcome to expert budgeteerers, newbies, lurkers and de-lurkers. We're a very friendly, non-judgmental bunch so please use this thread as you choose whether it's as a spending diary, to confess your money sins, ask for help or have a general whinge at the cost of living.....

OP posts:
AbbyLou · 18/01/2014 17:37

So we have nearly made it to payday (Friday)! Did a week's shopping today mostly in Aldi and a few bits in Tesco - about £50. Put £10 petrol in the car and that's me done, zilch left now! I will be driving nice and slow this week to make the petrol last!
I am really looking forward to getting paid because I really want to get started on my new budgetting drive. We have been looking at holidays this week and I think if we really scrimp and save we can do it. We both work so hard and feel like we just deserve a break away to enjoy family time.

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/01/2014 18:32

42p on cat food.

I've reserved my terracotta pots from homebase for planting herbs in but I won't collect until Monday.

I'm going to make more from scratch starting with fishcakes. I'm sure I can do better than what you buy in the shops.

FreelanceMama · 18/01/2014 18:34

creme you're right. Just chucked two bags of stuff and feel better already, thanks.

Also remembered tights are good for gardening - staking - so they're going in the shed!

NSD today and registered with TopCashBack so feeling a bit better about things already.

Blueandwhitelover · 18/01/2014 19:09

nsd today but I do need to food shop tomorrow...

claretandamberforever · 18/01/2014 19:14

IamNotANugget I was a bit worried in case wombling was illegal (I know it was frowned upon at Tesco) but apparently Asda are okay about it (I have googled it) and my take upon it is, if I have an Asda price-guarantee (APG) voucher, then I will be shopping in Asda and using it as a money off coupon rather than choosing to shop at Morrisons so even with a small voucher (say 70p) I will go and do a shop at Asda just to hand the voucher in...

I've found another one today that someone left in a trolley, they spent £70+ so hopefully when I get to work on Monday that might net me another voucher although upon reading it there is an awful lot of smart price stuff so maybe not. My own receipt from today had less than 8 items on it so I won't get anything from that.

Spends:
£10.50 - friend's daughter's birthday tomorrow
£4.18 on Olbas Oil (I am full of cold)
£4.95 at SW
£27.04 at Very (my Take 3 payment)
£37.64 on weekly shop (Asda, Aldi and Farmfoods)

Budget
(12 days til payday)
Food: £74.44
Petrol: £87.84
kids: £78.40
Everything else: £261.62 (with road tax to pay by end of Jan)

OP posts:
delasi · 18/01/2014 19:30

Freelance A bit drastic but... do you really need to keep things that would only be kept in a garage or loft? I say this because DH and I had quite a bit of stuff that fit into this category, yet we've always lived in small places (London! Gah!) so never much in the way of storage. We got a lot of stuff as wedding gifts and felt like we should keep a hold of things, just in case, or what if we need it in a year, etc.

We moved in to our current place. Least amount of storage ever for us so far. It drove me up the wall. DH just said, "Do we really need this stuff? We're not using most of it". Cue mass cull of furniture (selling, giving to friends who'll use it, and such), followed by kitchenwares, even down to plates and mugs, baby clothes (we got given a lot of stuff that we didn't use because it was too fussy), toiletries, clothes, shoes, coats... everything. We've been cutting down on and off for the last year and a bit. Most is done, just a few more bits to go. We still have plenty of stuff! And we held on to the very sentimental pieces. But the random bits and bobs 'just in case, what if we regret it in 1/5/10 years...', all gone.

I'm not saying you should dive in and start chucking left, right and centre, but sometimes it's easier if we start being honest about what we really need and love in our homes and what is there just because. The minimalism thread over on Good Housekeeping has tips and support. Especially if, like us, you move a lot, or can't guarantee income and therefore can't guarantee a set home for years, or afford a big place, it helps to lighten the load a bit! (especially if you do sell some stuff and make a little money!)

FreelanceMama · 18/01/2014 19:37

delasi thanks. That's really inspiring. I think I must be like your DH though. My partner is a mega hoarder and isn't bothered about "stuff" the way I am. Is there a thread on that?!

CremeEggThief · 18/01/2014 19:53

Aw, that's great, freelanceMama. Glad also Delasi pointed you in the direction of the minimalist thread on good housekeeping. There are also some decluttering threads on there. Keep going!Smile

delasi · 18/01/2014 20:17

Freelance Actually... Smile on Good Housekeeping there are at least 1 or 2 hoarders threads; hoarders anonymous, and another which was started by an MNer whose partner (iirc) is a hoarder. I think there were a lot of good tips on how to deal with finding it hard to let go of physical things, or being with someone who finds it hard. Plus as Crème said there are a number of decluttering threads, and the usual UMH/Fly Lady threads which can have good tips for maintenance.

Good Housekeeping is my MN home Grin

delasi · 18/01/2014 20:19

Ooh, autocorrect made your name all fancy Creme Grin

Dosey · 18/01/2014 20:44

NSD today, dds have done so well at school this week, I was so tempted to take them to McDonald's for tea as a treat. Instead we had fish fingers Chips and beans, sat on the sofa watching Cinderella. They loved it!

Adora the pancakes I made at lunchtime were yummy.

I have had a lovely day with dds without spending a penny.

I have made a mental note to watch out for receipts in trolleys at Asda!

ilovepicnmix · 18/01/2014 20:58

Thank you for the well wishes for DS. He's on the mend and just wants loads of cuddles which I'm always happy to give.

Hoping he's well enough for a zoom around aldi tomorrow as I really need a few bits and bobs.

freelance I live in a small flat and am really quite ruthless about things. I second delasi's advice.

Ohhelpohnoitsa · 18/01/2014 21:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Iamnotanugget · 18/01/2014 22:10

Glad to hear ds is on the mend picnmix. It's heart breaking seeing your dc so miserable.

freelance I'm also going to say just throw it all out/charity shop. I have a clearout about every 12 months and usually throw about 3/4 bags of stuff and charity shop at least the same again. So far I've not regretted doing this and I've been doing it about 10 years. If it has huge sentimental value then obviously keep it but otherwise ask yourself if you find in 5 years time you need something then, honestly, how difficult/expense would it be to replace. Also if you're thinking of moving thinning things out will firstly reduce packing and secondly will make your home much more attractive to buyers.

Small shop in Aldi, about £7.

AdoraBell · 18/01/2014 23:34

I dip in and out of the Mininmilist thread, you'll Get good support and advice there if you do want To Get rid of things.

Glad DS is okay picnmix

Spent a little bit Today, some not really necassery, pizza for DD's lunch after dropping DH at the airport and ice cream for a sleep over. Hours with them browsing clothes they already know I'm not buying, but they wanted To look anyway. Chicken wings for dogs and a little salad stuff, £12 and £1.20 on roads plus £4-ish parking at the airport. I have a prepaid card To park at one of the malls in town, so that's where we went.

My eye is playing up again, will have To Get it checked if it's not back To normal by the morning.

FreelanceMama · 19/01/2014 06:31

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to do it as far as I can. I still have the matter of DP's boxes and boxes of random STUFF Confused but that's another matter...

Turnoffthelights · 19/01/2014 09:14

Morning all!

Ended up being a NSD yesterday afterall as I found a bottle of elderflower fizz lurking from Christmas. Another incentive for me not drinking at weekends is that for every weekend alcohol free I am going to transfer £10 into my Christmas 2014 fund. £30 so far!

freelance I'm having a bit of a declutter too. I find sorting baby stuff hard because I keep thinking it may be needed if and when we have a second child but I know that there is far too much stuff anyway (we were lucky to get a lot of hand me downs) and I know that selling some stuff will be useful now. My aim is to have 10 items listed on ebay or local selling group by the end of the day!

claretandamberforever · 19/01/2014 11:19

Did DS1's paper round again this morning so another £4 to add to my Christmas fund which is now £29.58.

OP posts:
ashamedoverthinker · 19/01/2014 13:33

hi been lurking a bit no NSD this weekend but havebeen v good yesterday we went swimming (free in gym) but spent £4 on coffees took our own snacks and drunk water afterwards

today we have just been to cinema all four of us to see disney planes tickets cost £5.85 on empire juniors we took ourosn hothotdogs wrapped in foil popcorn n mudgetgems, whole thing cost less than £9.

feel like we've a full weekend with kids but at low cost.??

ellietrying · 19/01/2014 15:28

Can I join? I've set myself a mission of clearing a £900 debt by the end of march which will be a hard push but not completely impossible. Just need to focus! Spendy weekend but planning a few NSDs during the week. Fingers crossed!

Clutterbugsmum · 19/01/2014 16:13

Freelance

I have just done a massive declutter. Have taken 3 car loads (full, dh has a freelander) and 2 1/2 car loads to the dump. I have also donated several toys to DC school/nursery.

Thebluedog · 19/01/2014 16:28

I emptied my coin jar and had 30 quid - happy days as I needed cardigans and tights for dd1. So I bought those from asda, then set off to Aldi and, for the first time ever, stuck to only the things on my list and only spent 32 quid. I'm feeling all virtuous today Smile

CremeEggThief · 19/01/2014 16:37

£6.55 in Tesco. Got some ice-creams and smoothies as extras, as I decided not to go out for the day and spend £20 or so I'd set aside for this.

Also put down a deposit of £110 on a holiday to Lanzarote in the Easter holidays, and £13.35 on a birthday present for my niece, both online.

AdoraBell · 19/01/2014 16:53

I'm having an NSD. Last night DD had a friend over, they were still up at 3am so when señorita Nothing Is Enough asked To Go To the cinema as her friend left I said no.

They ate most of next week's chocolate, I'm not replacing it. It sounds frivilous but she's slowly re-learning that once it's eaten/used it's gone.

Creme hope you enjoy your holiday when it comes around.

Everyone is welcome ellie good luck with debt clearing.

ArtemisatBrauron · 19/01/2014 17:02

NSD today, finally! Should be tomorrow as well as I am back at work after 2 weeks off post-surgery. Once I get going at work I should be able to stack the NSDs a bit more (I once left my purse in the car for 3 days and didn't realise because things get so hectic at work and I don't have time to shop!)

ellie welcome! I am trying to clear a debt by end of March too, mine is £1600 Shock but with uber-frugal living I should be able to do it.